Finding the Strength to Fall
by jeffysquint
Summary: When Brennan wakes up in the hospital one day, she can't remember what landed her there. What she does remember, however, is the ever present pain in her chest ever since that fight with Booth. The fight where she was left alone... again.
1. One

**So… This is my first time I've ever written a story. Not just the first time for fanfiction, but the first time with any kind of story. So you could say I'm super nervous.**

**The chapters are super short and I know that. Read and review(: New chapters should be up within 24 hours.**

**When Brennan wakes up in the hospital one day, she can't remember what landed her there. What she does remember, however, is the ever present pain in her chest ever since that fight with Booth. The fight where she was left alone... again.**

**I rearranged the chapters a little bit so if you get a story alert I'm sorry! **

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><p><em><strong>One<strong>_

Her eyes opened and became wide with fear and confusion.

She jolted into a sitting position, and felt her body stiffen with pain. An unauthorized gasp left her mouth but despite the sudden dizziness and the full body ache, she wouldn't let herself lay back down until her questions were answered.

_Where was she?_

Blank white walls. Blank white sheets. She looked down at her hand that was cradling her belly and realized what she was wearing. A stiff white gown. Her normally lightning fast mind was taking forever to put the pieces together.

_A hospital?_

The IV she had failed to notice on her other hand confirmed the hypothesis. This was definitely a hospital.

_But… Why?_

The doors opened and a very frazzled brunette darted in. Brennan's eyes locked themselves on her best friend's face, and her mouth worked to form coherent questions. But before anything came out of her mouth, Brennan found herself being hugged by Angela. As she felt Angela's chest heave against her own, she managed to get something out.

"Ange… What happened?"

Angela pulled back and wiped her eyes. She had been worried sick for the last few hours and seeing Brennan alive and awake brought sobs that she hastily tried to swallow. And for a moment she didn't answer. Instead, they both stared into each other's wide eyes.

"You… you fell Bren. Now lay down. You should rest. You look terrible." Angela's voice was cracking but she strained to make it level again.

Brennan weakly fought with Angela using her left hand, while her right arm still cradled her bulging belly. She was determined to stay upright. But with Angela no longer holding and hugging her, she was swaying dangerously. A wave of nausea came fast. Her body no longer had the strength to follow her mind's wishes. Unable to hold on any longer, she slumped back into the pillows, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She felt a lump in her throat, but she couldn't decide whether it was from the pain or from the questions that were still burning in her mind.

"The... the baby. Is my baby okay?"

Both hands circled her belly this time. She hadn't felt him kick or move or even flutter once since she had woken up. It had only been five minutes. But she _needed_to feel something. Her eyes opened again.

Tears were welling up fast. She blinked them away angrily.

_Damn hormones._

"Ange?" Brennan's eyes furrowed. Her friend's face had gone white.

"You don't remember anything?" Angela's couldn't hide her concern.


	2. Two

_**Two**_

"You don't remember anything?" Angela's couldn't hide her concern.

"Well… no." Brennan answered. "What's wrong with my baby?"

"But Bren you were awake when you came in here-"

Brennan cut her off. "Angela. _Please._What's wrong with him? Why won't you just tell me?"

"Sweetie you have to calm down. They think you went into preterm labor. Too much stress? I believe that was the doctor's guess. Your baby was in distress and his heartbeat was going wild and you wouldn't stop fighting with the nurses for some reason. They had to strap you down. You wouldn't calm down and the his heart rate just kept going up and…"

"But he's fine now right? Right?" Brennan gasped for air.

_Breathe dammit breathe. You have to breathe for the baby._

"Well. They think so. You're just supposed to lay low and stay calm for a while and they're going to monitor the baby until you go home. I believe Booth is out talking to the doctor about what happens ne-"

"Booth is here?" It was Brennan's turn to go white. Another wave of nausea hit. "Angela no! I told you I didn't want to see him."

_Breathe. Focus. In. Out. In. Out. Deeper._

"I couldn't just not tell him Sweetie. It's his kid too you know. And he's still in love with you- I can just tell. I wish you would tell me what happened. I'm sure you two can fix it." The artist's face was a mix of emotions. But most of all, it was full of pity.

"_No_Angela. It isn't going to happen. We won't work. Besides, I'm the mother. It's my baby." 

She turned onto her head to the side, trying to hide the tears. Her chest tightened whenever someone even mentioned Booth's name lately and it was all she could do now to keep herself from sobbing out loud. It was all too much. She just couldn't. Stupid hormones.

"I… Bren…" Angela started.

"I'm tired. Please leave."

The words were quiet but Brennan was proud of the steadiness in her voice. Angela stood and walked out the door, head bowed in defeat yet again.

_Breathe. That's all you have to do. Just breathe._


	3. Three

**Note: In the future, you probably shouldn't expect such quick updates. But for now, enjoy them(: Hope this chapter is better. The length makes more sense I think. Still awfully short though.**

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><p><em><strong>Three<strong>_

Tears dried on her face because her hands refused to leave her stomach. They caressed the growing bump with care, waiting desperately for movement; some indication, any indication that her baby was still in there and alive. But nothing came. She tossed and turned for a few minutes, but thankfully, no one came to bug her, and eventually Brennan drifted into a light but troubled slumber.

She woke to the sound of loud voices outside her room.

"No Booth she needs to sleep!"

"Angela I haven't seen her in days and she can fight all she wants with me but I'm not giving up on her _or _the baby."

"Exactly Booth. You haven't seen her lately. You haven't seen the way she walks around without a purpose or the constantly panicked look on her face or the dark circles under her eyes. You know I'm on your side. But just let her sleep. Please."

"Fine. I won't wake her. But I'm sitting by her bed until she wakes up and then we are damn well talking about this."

She heard footsteps coming closer.

_No. No. No._

The door opened.

Booth's breath hitched and he stopped dead when he saw her lying in that hospital bed. She was still curled into a ball on her side, or as close as she could get with her stomach in the way. Both hands were curled beneath her belly and her eyes were piercing through him. His heart shattered. She looked so scared.

"Oh Bones." was all he could get out.

"No." Her voice cracked all the way through the short word.

_What is wrong with you? You used to be so strong! Pull it together Temperance. Breathe. _

He just stood there helplessly.

Angela backed out of the room, giving them space.

_He needs to go away. I can't bear to hurt him more. _

Time passed but their bodies refused to move and both pairs of eyes stayed strong on the other's.

He took a step forward. She cringed.

But it didn't matter. The doctor came in the door, breaking them both out of the trance.

Angela followed closely, looking apologetic, sensing the moment they had just had.

"Dr. Brennan!" Dr. Harper exclaimed. "How lovely to see that you're awake. Although, you were awfully tired when you came in and I'm glad to know that you have rested. How are you feeling?"

Brennan subconsciously looked up at Booth when the question was posed. She didn't know what she was looking for in his eyes but she found an odd sort of comfort before she quickly looked away, embarrassed by her movements. She scolded her body for not having more control and then she turned to Dr. Harper.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Alrighty then, let's get started. Mr. Booth, I'm going to have to ask you to leave so I can examine Dr. Brennan. Ms. Montenegro, I would appreciate it if you could stay with us."

"But," Booth argued lamely, "That's… that's my kid." He pointed to Brennan's stomach. "And she's… well. She's mine also."

"Well, I suppose the choice is up to Dr. Brennan then."

Brennan shook her head softly.

The doctor looked confused, but Angela took charge. "Booth, you need to go. This really isn't the time."

Booth looked even more devastated, and Brennan didn't understand how that was possible.

_Don't you get it Booth? I'm just trying to protect you. Why can't you understand? It's better this way. _


	4. Four

**Thank you to everyone who has been reading! You have no idea how much it means to me. The number of hits astounds me and it's thrilling when someone sets up an alert and even more exhilarating when _my _story gets favorited! Crazy stuff. Keep reading and reviewing please! I am truly open to constructive criticism too.**

**I put this up earlier but had to take it down because there were some glitches when I uploaded the document. Sorry!**

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><p><em><strong>Four<strong>_

The door closed quietly behind him. All he wanted to do was run back into the room and kiss her. Wipe her tears. Fix her pain. All he wanted to do was to hold _them _and never let them go. His own little family. So beautiful. But seeing her today- she looked so… broken.

Her belly had grown but she looked skinnier. Maybe not by a lot, but he always noticed. Her eyes were sunken and there were dark and defined circles around them. Angela had been right about everything. He tried not to blame her for letting it get this bad. But he knew that Bones would never be allowed to get like that if he had been around.

Back in the room Angela was helping Brennan to sit straight so the doctor could examine her head.

Brennan was surprised to hear about the bruise on her head. She didn't remember falling at all, let alone falling into anything.

_That explains the pain in my head and the dizziness though. _

"Did you check for internal bleeding?" Brennan asked her doctor.

"Of course Dr. Brennan. But you just have a large bruise. A slight concussion, but you didn't need stitches and there is no bleeding into your brain. You'll be fine."

"And… and the baby?"

"The baby will be just fine as long as you start taking better care of yourself. You're only 30 weeks pregnant Dr. Brennan, and that's early even for pre-term labor. Ms. Montenegro here tells me that you spend a lot of time at work? I'm going to have to limit the number of hours you're allowed to be on your feet to relieve some of your stress. You are confined to no more than 3 hours of work a day. After that, I want you to go home and rest. Take a nap. Read a book. Don't stand on your feet for extended periods of time."

"What? No!" Brennan hissed, glaring at Angela.

_Work __is __all __I __have __now. __It __is __the __only __thing __that__'__s __helping__ to take__my __mind __off __of _him. _He is__the __real __problem. __Or __lack __of __him __anyway. __Ugh, __no __Temperance! __Don__'__t __think __like __that. __He__'__s __better __off __without __you._

"That's not the reason Dr. Harper. I promise to take better care of myself if you'll just let me keep working. I promise. Don't take my work away from me. That will only make things worse."

"Would you mind explaining the real reason then Dr. Brennan? You're malnourished and endangering not only your life, but your baby's life as well. You do want this baby right?"

She shuddered at the accusation and quickly snapped back "Of course I want him! How could you say such a thing? What kind of person are you?"

Angela's head turned at that one. It had been a while since Brennan had snapped at anybody. Lately, she looked so depressed. So empty. Like there wasn't an ounce of fight left in her. She hugged Brennan and glared at the doctor. Nobody had the right to treat her best friend like that.

But the doctor's face had softened. "Him? I thought we hadn't found the gender of the baby yet? The last few times we looked your baby was being uncooperative and the angle wasn't right. Where did you come up with a gender?"

"Oh." Brennan said softly, her temperament becoming lighter too. "I just… I guess… I sort of want a boy" she finished, her voice diminishing with every word.

_Because I want a little Booth. The warm chocolate eyes, the strong arms, the perfect gentlemanliness. _

She had told herself again and again to stop calling the baby a "he," but she didn't seem to be able to help herself. The unwanted pronoun came out anyway. She didn't understand why she would even want a little Booth. Wouldn't that just make every day with her baby harder?


	5. Five

**Hey guys! So here's the new chapter. It sort of gives you insight into what happened… but not really. It might make you a little mad at me and sort of impatient(:**

**On that note, I'm going to be so ridiculously busy this week that I'm probably not going to be posting again until Tuesday or later. So I apologize profusely for that, and hopefully you won't stop reading. But sadly, school and family trumps the writing of this fanfiction. **

**For now though, ENJOY!**

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><p><em><strong>Five<strong>_

The doctor finished his examination of her and left the room. Brennan had managed to push him to allow her 5 hours of work a day for 5 days a week with the promise that when he saw her in a week, she would be well rested and at least 3 pounds heavier. He had told her that there should always be someone around to watch her, just in case. She had brushed that one off quickly and he gave up faster than she expected. She wasn't going to give anyone an excuse to start hovering over her, especially Angela or Booth.

Angela had come and stood next to her friend's head for the second half of the exam. She had one arm around Brennan's shoulders and the other had one of Brennan's hands in hers. She squeezed the anthropologist's cold hand and allowed her to lean against her shoulder. Brennan had pushed Angela away lately, unwilling to talk to her about her problems and feelings. But she was so grateful to have her here now. She needed her. And badly.

When the doctor left, Angela was still standing in the same position. Her concerned face turned towards Brennan's.

"Sweetie? How you doin'?"

Brennan, who had managed to regain most of her composure after snapping at the doctor, lost it again. Her shoulders slumped and her head fell back into the pillows. The sudden movement made her head throb, but no nausea came, so that was improvement. She looked up at Angela and tried to figure out what to say. But nothing really came.

"Do you think you could just… sit here with me for a little while?"

The vulnerability in her words made Angela's heart ache for her friend, but she forced herself to be strong.

"I still don't really know what happened…" Brennan continued, referring to the events that led to the needles in her hand and the bump on her head.

"We can talk about it later," Angela assured her.

Brennan nodded solemnly.

After climbing into bed next to the very pregnant woman, Angela leaned over and planted a kiss on her forehead.

_Only he does that to me. I miss that. I miss that so much. _

Tears flowed freely from Brennan's eyes after that until she fell asleep against Angela's shoulder.

Outside, an anxiety-ridden Booth stood up as Dr. Harper walked towards him.

Brennan was released the next day. Despite her protests, Angela insisted that she let the nurse wheel her out of the hospital so she didn't have to walk.

Brennan's mind was still buzzing with everything that was happening. Her hands never left her stomach when they transferred her from the bed to the wheelchair. It didn't matter how sure the doctor was that her baby was fine, her hands wouldn't leave until he kicked again. He had been such a kicker before. It hadn't been quite the same for a few weeks now, but still…

"Ange…?"

"Yeah Bren?"

"What happened to Booth?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… he always stays. He's stubborn like that. Why didn't he stay here?"

_And without even saying goodbye._ _Booth would never give up so easily. I know him better than that. Or I used to. Or I thought I did. But then that night… well…_

"Um. Well. You sort of told him to." Even Brennan could sense the hesitant tone in Angela's voice.

"Yeah but…" she started.

_He's never listened before. Well, except… except _that _night._

"Sweetie what happened between you two?"

Brennan bowed her head in shame. She shrugged.

_I'm hopeless and he's perfect. He deserves more._

"Did you guys have a fight?"

Brennan shrugged again.

_Yes. A bad one._

Angela continued, "Honey everyone fights. If that's what happened you two just have to talk about it. Don't cut him out. He's good for you."

Brennan didn't say anything.

_He is. It's true. But I'm not good enough for him._

Angela drove her home, parked her car in front of Brennan's apartment, and turned to face her friend, only to find Brennan softly snoring with two hands still on her belly.

"Let's go," Angela said softly, taking one of Brennan's hands off of her stomach and into her own hand.

"What? No. You're not staying with me. Angela you should… go home and see Michael and Hodgins. I'll be fine, okay? There's nothing wrong with me."

"What are you crazy? I'm not letting you go up those stairs by yourself." Angela smiled, seeing the opportunity to inject some humor into the somber situation.

Brennan didn't smile back. "Fine. But you're leaving once I make it to the door."

"Deal." Angela turned to get out of the car, smile fading fast.

Brennan's eyebrows furrowed.

_Since when does everybody give up so easily? Nobody even argues anymore._

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><p><strong>Maybe I'll tell you what happened soon. Maybe I won't. Are you mad at me yet? <strong>

**Reviews/constructive criticism are welcome and appreciated! Thanks again for reading(:**


	6. Six

**He guys. Sorry to disappoint, but this is more of a filler chapter. I know this is a bit angsty and dramatic for some of you, but i promise that there will be some happy stuff coming soon (not telling you what kind of happy stuff). Maybe not next chapter, but definitely the chapter after that. I believe. **

**Thank you guys so much for alerting, reviewing, favoriting, and just plain reading! It means a lot(: **

**I'm always open to constructive criticism! So bring it on!**

**Also, I'd like to thank **mksquintern** from tumblr for continuing to help me with this story(: She's pretty cool.**

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><p><em><strong>Six<strong>_

Angela had gripped her arm and led her up the stairs. Brennan had felt dreadfully off balance. But with Angela's hands guiding her and keeping her from falling backwards, they had made it to the second story apartment. Brennan would never admit it, but she had really needed Angela's help. In fact, she had been inwardly cursing at her pregnant body the entire way up.

They found her keys at the bottom of her bag and Brennan let herself in.

"You can go now."

Angela smiled. She knew Brennan hadn't meant for that to sound as rude as it did. She was just being factual. She nodded and squeezed her friend's hand.

"Call me if you need anything," Angela said sternly. "And call me if the baby kicks! Okay? Don't push me out sweetie."

"How- how did you know?" Brennan bit her lip.

"How did I know you're waiting for the baby to kick? I was just pregnant honey. I can tell. I'm here for you okay? I can be of a lot more help than you're letting me be. " She smiled but then paused, seeing the obvious conflict in Brennan's eyes. So she made the decision for her. "Get some rest, I'm coming back with smoothies around seven tonight okay? You'd better let me in."

And so Angela left.

She looked at the clock on the wall. 11am. She had some time to herself. Brennan took a few deep breaths in and smiled. She really did like to be alone. She was _good_at it. And being back in her spacey apartment reminded her of that. She placed her hands below her belly, cupping it.

_Guess I won't be alone for much longer. _

She smiled.

_I didn't mean for it to sound like I didn't want you baby. You're mine, and we're going to figure this out. We'll be great together. _

Another tear skated her down her face without her consent. What was up with all the hormones lately?

_I'm alone._

The loneliness that had seemed like a good thing only seconds ago, now left her wishing her baby was out so she didn't feel so abandoned. She needed to fill the void in her she had created when she pushed Booth out of her life.

She placed her purse on the table next to the door and hung her sweater in the front closet, taking care to make sure that it lay nicely on the hanger. She found peace in the control she had over little things like that.

She walked over to the kitchen and began to unload the dishwasher. Mundane, simple tasks. They kept her sane. But halfway through she decided she needed to be off her feet for a while. Her head had started to throb again and it didn't do good things for her balance. She waddled off towards her bedroom, deciding that now would be a good time to lay down and work on her new book.

Flipping the light to her bedroom on, she immediately realized that something was off. Her body stiffened and she grabbed the umbrella that was resting near the door. Those weren't her shoes. She didn't know where the jacket that laid over the chair had come from. It looked… familiar? Her eyes shifted to the bed.

And then she screamed.

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><p><strong>Hehe I'm slightly evil. You'll be okay. Hopefully the next update will be much quicker than the last. See you soon!<strong>

**P.S. I enjoy reviews.**


	7. Seven

**Hello again(: I want to thank everyone who has decided to follow my story and everyone who has reviewed! It means so much. Ready for more drama? **

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><p><em><strong>Seven<strong>_

The scream came fast, loud, and high. Then she couldn't control her body. The umbrella dropped from her hand. She sprung back and tripped over herself. She gripped the frame of the door as her knees went weak and failed to support her weight.

"Bones!" Booth exclaimed, waking from a deep sleep. "What…?"

Her head eyes found his and her knees became even weaker.

"Bones!" He cried again. But this time, it was out of fear at the sight of her. She was falling. He took one look at her and practically jumped out of the bed and sprinted towards her.

He came around to her right side and threw one strong arm beneath her two weak ones. The arm wrapped around her frail body, curving around her back and to her front where it fell somewhere between her breasts and her belly. He took her right arm and placed it up on top of his shoulders. He lifted her to a standing position, and paused to look down at her face.

She was pale, but whether that was from malnourishment of from the scare he couldn't tell, because she was looking the other way, her gorgeous eyes specifically avoiding his gaze.

His head came to rest on top of hers and he too a deep breath in, his body tingling at the smell of her hair. His lips found the place where her forehead met her hair, and he left a small kiss there.

Her heart jolted.

The baby kicked.

Relief washed over her frame and she too felt a shudder go through her body. He looked over, confused at her delayed reaction to his kiss. Was it to his kiss?

She was staring downwards at her stomach and her free hand caressed it lovingly. Was she smiling? He hadn't seen her smile in ages. Not since… It took all of his self-restraint not to place his hand over hers and kiss her lips with everything he had.

"Beautiful…" he whispered quietly, without thinking.

Her body became rigid and he instantly regretted opening his mouth. If he wasn't the only thing keeping her upright, he was sure she would be across the room by now.

He wondered how it had come to this. Two weeks ago they had been happy. Most nights he had held her in his arms while she fell asleep. Heck, they had spent most evenings after work breaching almost every unspoken boundary that had held them back for the last 7 years.

She broke the silence first.

"You should go."

"What? No! The doctor said you should have someone with you." Booth's words reflected the defiance on his face.

"I told him that wasn't necessary Booth," she told him dismissively. She took her arm off of his shoulders, deciding she could make it the few feet to the bed on her own. But then she faltered. "Wait. How did you know he said that? You weren't there."

"He came and talked to me after your exam. Said you weren't going to admit to needing help."

She glared at him.

"I'm _fine _Booth. Just tired. I don't need your help to sleep."

_Well now you're just lying. _

She never slept properly anymore. She was lucky if she could manage to stay asleep for longer than 2 hours at a time. She was even luckier if she could fall asleep within 2 hours of lying down.

Her eyes drifted to his broad shoulders and down his beautifully sculpted arms.

_The bed is so cold without you._

How she longed to be back in his embrace, warm against his hard chest.

_Stop thinking like that. Walk away._

She unwound the arm he had around her and stared determinately at the bed.

_I'm going to make it._

And she did. His hands reached out behind her in case she fell, but she didn't need them.

_I'm only weak because he's here. I was fine when Angela dropped me off an hour ago._

Her hands found the edge of the comforter and pulled it back. Then the sheets. She stopped.

"Can you leave now? I would like to change."

His eyes widened in obvious conflict. He was sure that wasn't going to be an easy task for her.

"Bones…" His hand rose instinctively towards her.

She flinched and let out a barely audible gasp. But he heard it. He always did. Her eyes traveled up to his pity-filled ones.

"Lock the door on your way out. There's a key in the plant outside the door. Don't forget to put it back."

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><p><strong>Yeah okay so this is a pretty dramatic story. But you'll definitely get some lightening of the mood next chapter(: Should be good! <strong>

**Follow the story and review! Thanks(:**


	8. Eight

**Hello! So here's the happiness glimpse I've been promising. Hope you guys like it!**

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><p><em><strong>Eight <strong>_

He left the room but not the apartment. Steaming, frustrated, and just plain hurt, he walked to her front door, opened it, and then slammed it loud enough to where he was sure she had to have heard it. He tiptoed his way to the couch after that and flopped down on it, careful not to make a sound. She was crazy for thinking he was just going to leave. Didn't she know him at all? The night after their big fight he hadn't been able to bring himself to leave. He had sat in his parked car, outside her apartment, and waited for her to come tearing after him. He had waited until 9am the next day when Hacker called and asked him where the hell he was. But she never came. She usually left for work by 7:30 in the morning. But not that day. He looked up at the ceiling and opened his eyes real' wide, willing his emotions to shut the hell up.

Brennan heard the door slam and heaved a sigh of relief. Too tired to walk back over to the dresser, she stripped down to her boring black panties, grabbed one of Booth's huge t-shirts from her nightstand drawer, and climbed into bed. She missed feeling sexy. Now she just felt fat all of the time. Pulling the covers up to her chin, Brennan curled into her maternity pillow, and kept her free hand over her belly. It had been a very long day already. The baby kicked again, pushing all of her other feelings aside and causing her face to break into another smile. And with that kick and the smell of Booth coming from the shirt, she fell into a dream filled sleep.

~/~

She sat at their usual table inside of the diner, waiting for him. Her phone beeped, and quickly grabbing it, she saw that she had a new text message from Hodgins. She sighed. Hodgins wasn't who she was looking for.

**Wendell found fibers in the victim's stab wound, probably from the attacker's shirt. Analyzing them now.**

She began to text back when a shadow fell on the table and she instinctively looked up. It was him. He was smiling in that dorky crooked way that made her melt. Taking her hand, he helped her into a standing position, and took her into his arms. One hand cupped her perfect porcelain face and the other laid on her lower back, gently pushing her soft new baby bump into him. He kissed her lips with a sweetness she hadn't been lucky enough to experience before him. It wasn't sexual… just… nice. She giggled.

"I don't understand what's so funny," he teased. He loved it when she giggled. It was so unlike her, and it was thrilling to know he could bring those adorable noises out of her.

She shrugged. "Just happy to see you."

"Did you miss me?" he asked. That damn crooked smile grew larger. His eyebrows were raised and those chocolate oceans beneath them were bright and playful.

"Booth…" she whined as she unsuccessfully worked to keep her face straight, "I saw you three hours ago. Don't be ridiculous."

"So you did miss me."

She gave up, and decided to just smile back. If it made him happy to be missed, then why not be truthful and let him know that he was right? He was definitely right.

They ate dinner in comfortable silence, smiling like idiots at each other. They made small talk about the day but she knew they were both more interested in getting home and beginning their night. She couldn't stop thinking how revolting they must be to other people. Hell, she was revolted with herself for being so sappy.

~/~

Her eyes opened and she found that her mouth was still curved upward into that outrageous smile. It had only been a dream. And when that smile left her only a second later, it was replaced by an even larger frown and her eyes brimmed with tears. That had been such a beautiful day. Thankfully, sleep came fast.

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><p><strong>What did you think! Review Review Review! :D And thanks for reading! I promise I'll start giving you real answers soon(;<strong>


	9. Nine

**Hello again(: **

**I'd like to give a big thank you to my helper mksquintern because she's awesome and she reads these for me before I post them and gives awesome advice(: And thanks to those of you who keep reading, alerting, and reviewing!**

**Now, on to more angst. But this time it's angst with answers!**

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><p><em><strong>Nine<strong>_

Thankfully, sleep came fast.

So did more dreams of the past.

~/~

They glared at each other, eyes livid, each daring the other to snap first. They had already been going at it for quite some time, but the yelling had momentarily stopped.

She snapped first. "Get out."

"Get out? Really Bones?"

"You heard me. I don't want you here." The voices in her head disagreed, but she tried to shut them off.

_Stay strong. This is for the best._

"Jesus, Bones, can't you just admit to needing someone for once in you life? What have I ever done wrong? Are you going to break up with me because I was late to dinner? I mean really?"

"Don't you dare going trying to act like I'm doing this for no reason. I have my reasons. I always do."

"Well then you'd better damn well share some of those reasons with me! Cause to tell you the truth, I don't see any good reasons."

She hesitated. "We're… different."

"Seriously? That's what you're hiding behind? We're different? Bones we've always been different and you can't honestly tell me that we're having this fight because of something that's been that exceptionally obvious for the last 7 years..."

He paused, and her fearfully bright eyes burned through him. His voice softened a bit with his next words, but she could tell that he was still really mad.

"Yeah, we're different. You're the facts, I'm the guts. You're the brain, I'm the heart. So what? You can't back out of this because of something that has only helped us in the past. We're a team, Bones. A team. We make each other better. And soon we're going to be a family. How can you argue with how this feels?"

"I…"

"I love you Bones. I always have. Keep giving this a chance and I promise to wait for as long as you need. I know you'll end up feeling that way too. I know it. Believe me." His chocolate eyes were pleading with hers as he ran one hand through his hair and reached the other out towards her stomach. She flinched and took a step back.

Then she just stared at him; eyes burning, teeth clenched in an effort not to cry. She knew he was wrong. She couldn't change. She was too messed up for that. Logic told her that the earlier she let him go, the better off he would be in the long run. The quicker he would get over her. The quicker he would move on to someone that could give him what he needed.

"No."

"No what?" He raised his voice slightly in frustration. "No what Bones?"

"Booth this isn't going to work."

"You're telling me you want this to be over? Our partnership? Our relationship? Our… family?"

Silence.

The last word stung her the most. She subconsciously ran her hand over her almost-28-week bump.

"I'm telling you that we won't work." She bit her lip.

_Oh no don't cry don't cry don't cry._

"And I'm telling you to rethink some of your evidence because so far, your reasons aren't worth shit Bones. Your reasons aren't going to convince me that this should end."

"Can't you see us fighting Booth? We're always fighting."

"We've always bickered. That isn't going to change. That's one of the things I love about us. And yeah, we're going to have a few fights, but we can talk them out. We can make this work. But you have to help me out here. I don't even know what's happening right now."

"What's happening is I'm ending this."

It was the most straightforward sentence she'd spoken all night. He inhaled sharply, finally hit by the bluntness of her words. He took a step back. He didn't believe she could honestly think that. How could she? His self control snapped, and the detrimental words he said next came quick and without hesitation.

"But you can't tell me why, Bones. You, the one with all of the evidence, can't come up with a good reason for kicking me out on my ass just like every other guy you've shoved out of your life. Why don't you trust me?"

Her slap hit his face before he had time to realize what he had done.

"I trusted you more than I've ever trusted anyone else. Now get the fuck out of my apartment."

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><p><strong>So. There you go. Did you figure it out? Did I make you more mad at me?<strong>

**Also, I came up with Booth's "I love you" and Brennan's reluctance long before the season 7 sneak peaks came out. Just saying(:**

**Reviews/hate mail are welcome. I'm still super new at this, so anything is appreciated. Thank you!**


	10. Ten

**Sorry that my posts are getting a little more sporadic. I'm definitely being worked overtime in most areas right now. It's definitely pretty nerve racking. But here is chapter ten(:**

**Last chapter we dove into Brennan's dream about her fight with Booth that led to all of this, but most of you are mad at me because you still have no idea what is going on. Patience! Now we pick up as Brennan wakes from her dream. **

**P.S. I don't own Bones or any of the characters. I just love them!**

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><p><em><strong>Ten<strong>_

She woke, gasping for air.

Dreams of him- of _them_- were a nightly occurrence, but she had yet to dream of their fight before.

She threw the comforter off of her bed and pulled herself into a sitting position, knees drawn up, with hands clasping together so that her arms formed a circle around them. Her body rocked. Back and forth. Back and forth.

A familiar dull ache had been forming in her lower back. Her rocking stopped as the pain intensified, and she clenched her teeth to keep from groaning out loud. But it was no use. The ache became more of a cramp and only got worse, and a strangled moan left her lips. And then the pain peaked, and left as quick as it had come, leaving her panting, with two hands on her stomach. And then she remembered what had happened.

_She was walking around her office, head in a file about a seven hundred year old skeleton who had been found in a remote island in the Caribbean, when the same pain had hit her. She had stumbled forward and dropped the file to grip the couch, unsure of what was happening. Her foot had caught the edge of the couch and, already off balance from the pregnancy and lack of sleep, she had fallen towards the glass coffee table…_

The door swung open with a mighty bang, ricocheting off the wall, and snapping her back into reality. Angela came flying in and quickly assessed her surroundings before rushing towards the bed without a sound. Angela chucked her shoes off and climbed in behind Brennan, legs spread so that Brennan could lie in the middle of them. Angela's arms reached around her friend and hugged her, as Brennan turned onto her left slide, remembering what the doctor had told her. She placed her head on Angela's chest and exhaled shakily when Angela's head came down to rest on top of hers.

"Contraction?" the new mom asked knowingly.

"Yeah… I think so…" Brennan answered, shutting her eyes.

The door swung open again and hit the wall with a bang, revealing a pale-faced Booth standing in the doorway. Brennan's back was facing to him but both women's heads had turned at the noise.

"Booth, could you get us some water?" Angela asked politely. "Thanks."

It was a command more than anything else. He knew she was asking for just a couple of minutes and that he was allowed to come back. Still, his heart sank.

"Is she…" he started.

"She's okay."

It was as if Brennan wasn't there. He had directed his question at Angela, trying not to meet make eye contact with the woman she was holding. He should have been holding her. Then again, if they hadn't broken up she probably wouldn't be in this situation.

He nodded and rubbed the side of his face with his palm, turning towards the kitchen.

He grabbed a glass from the cupboard above the sink and took a bendy straw out of the back of the silverware drawer. He put two ice cubes in the glass just the way she liked it and used the smaller faucet with the attached water purifier.

He walked back towards her bedroom but stopped to listen at the door when he heard their hushed voices conversing.

"It's not rational for me to still be reacting this way.

"Sweetie just tell me what the dream was about. It's okay."

There was silence and Booth's mind conjured up the face he knew Brennan was making right now. Furrowed brows, slightly cocked head, defeated and drooping shoulders. He knew that look too well.

"It was our fight… the night… the night we broke up."

"Oh honey…"

"It wasn't like I was watching from above though, it was like I was reliving it all over again. We fought. I told him to get out… and he did. And then I woke up and I… and I couldn't breathe and my back hurt and then it progressed into a full contraction. That's when I remembered feeling the same thing right before I fell Angela. I must have hit my head on the coffee table in my office and… and passed out. It's a good thing you found me cause-"

Booth knocked on the door, unable to listen to any more. It was his job to find her, not Angela's. Brennan's voice stopped and Booth waited for a second before pushing open the door, water glass in hand.

He walked into the room, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Strutting over to the side she was facing, he held out the glass of water to her.

"You should drink something."

"I'm fine."

Booth stood there for a moment, arm outstretched, until Angela took the glass. Booth let out an angry snort, and plopped down in the chair next to the bed.

Angela tried next. "You really should try. It'll help."

Brennan glared at her and didn't take the glass.

Booth's head was down and his hands were running through his hair as he rested his elbows on his knees. "For God's sakes Bones, no one is trying to hurt you. Just drink something."

She didn't take the glass. She just stared at his hunched figure, wondering why he couldn't even look at her. Would they ever go back to normal? Was that possible?

As though he read her mind, his head slowly came up, and his eyes met hers.

"Do it for the baby, Bones."

His voice was strained. She could deny him when it came to matters of her own health, but she couldn't say no to the baby justification. She took the water in one hand, and pushed herself up a little with the other, while remaining in Angela's lap.

She sipped a little slowly, before realizing how right the other adults were. She was really thirsty. She polished off the glass in seconds while the other two looked on, silent. Booth took the empty glass and walked towards the door.

"I'll go get some more water and some hummus?"

_Hummus. _

Her stomach growled.

_Ugh between extra hormones and never-ending hunger I can't keep anything to myself can I?_

"I'll take that as a yes then," Booth said as he headed off towards the kitchen. He smirked and rolled his eyes, but it wasn't anything like the playful version she was used to.

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><p><strong>So there you go. I guess you could call it more of a filler chapter but it was still pretty interesting to write. I'm enjoying this.<strong>

**Tell me what you think! Review like crazy! Good reviews are nice but I also enjoy constructive criticism because I'm very new to this. **

**Thanks for reading(:**


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